Coin-controlled safe



July 23, 1929. s. L. BELKNAP' COIN CONTROLLED SAF'E Filed Aug. 17. 1926 l 15u/ev Maffay' l QM-MS Patented July 23, i928.

SAMUEL L. estimar, or Los ANGELES, eALrroRiviA.

eoiricon'r'iaoririnn sare.

Application filed August 1'?, 1926. Serial No. 129,711.

This invent-ion relates toiinprovements in safes.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved safe which is coin cont-rolled in that the safe cannot be locked without employing a coin, and after the safe has once been locked, it cannot be opened except by an authorized person.

Anothei` obj ectof this invention is to provide a safe which has a lock operable by a key and to provide a coin controlled mechanism which will prevent the safe from being locked unless a coin' is employed and which will also prevent the withdrawal of the key unless the safe is locked.

A further'object of this inventionis to provide a safe of cheap, sirnple and durable construction which can be employed in various public localities, such as in Pullman cars, steamships, stores or the like, and which can be used for safely checking or depositing artilcles of value.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a safe which is operable by a. coin to permit the safe to be locked, and to provide a register or counting means for counting the coins deposited in the safe to permit the safe to be locked.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein: l

, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved safe, the door being shown in open position, j f

Fig. 2 is a perspectiveyiew taken from a different angle than Fig. 1, also illustrating the safe in open position,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of showing the door in closed position,

Fig. t is a vertical section taken substantially oiifthe linee-4f of Fig. 8,

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken substan- .the safe muy on el@ 11116.5*5 of rig. i,

yFig.. 6 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. l, the back panel or back wall of the door being shown as havino' been broken away and removed,

Fig. 9 is a perspective view vof the key.

l'deferrinoto the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved coin controlled safe consists of a container 10 having top, bottom, side and back walls and which may be imbedded in a wall. rl'he container, if desired, can be formed in any suitable manner, but if it isto be imbedded in a wall, which is the preferred construction, it is preferably provided around its front or open side with a marginal flange 11. A hinged door is provided for the safe shown as having a. front wall 12, which is preferably. formed'ofheavy steel plate. A suitable band 13 is arranged about thedoor and is secured thereto, such as by spot-welding, thus providing flanges which extend rearwardly from the topv and sides of the door. The door is also provided with aback wall-14 having top,

bottom and side flanges l-adapted to fit within the flanges provided by the band 13.

A lock is provided for-thedoor lwhich consists of a central stationary cylinder or body part 16 having a`key-way'17 formed therethrough, About `this stationary cylinder or body part there is disposed a rotatable partv or cylinder 18 having a handle 19 secured to its forward end which is disposed forwardly of the face or front wall 12 of the door. A disc 2O is fastened to thev rear end of the movable part or rotatable cylinder 18. The interior surface of the cylinder 18 lits snugly against the exterior surface of the stationary cylinder or body part 16. A plurality `of small plates are arranged one behind the other in the key-way 17. These plates provide tinnblers for the lock and are indicated at 21. Each plate has an aperture 22 formed therein for the reception ofthe key and is equal in lengthfrom top to bottom to the diameter of the stationary cylinder or body part 16. The position of the laperture 22 in each plate varies with respect to the ends of the plate. On the interior surface' of the cylinder 18 at the top and bottom thereof there are formed longitudinal grooves which are equal in width to the width of the key-way or approximately so.

Normally when the key is out of the keyway, the various tumblers or plates 21 fall..

to the bottom of the key-way and have their lower ends'entering the bottom groove, thus locking the cylinder 18 againstrotation relatively tothe stationary part 16. If desired, suitable springs may be employed, which will y urge some of the plates'to have their upper llO Vends enter the upper groove, thus assisting in locking the parts 16 and 18 against relative rotation. Vhen a key is inserted into the key-way, the serrations on the key engage the top and bottom edges of the apertures 22, thus causing all of the plates to be aligned so that their upper ends are just even with the top of the stationary cylinder 16 and their bottom ends are just even with the bottom surface of the stationary cylinder 16. VVhe'n in such position the cylinder 18 can be rotated by the handle 19 to rotate the disc 20. Vhen the cylinder 18 has been rotated from the position shown in Fig. 8 so that the grooves on the interior surface of the cylinder 18 are no longer registering with the top and bottom ot the key-way, it wifi be appreciated that the plates or tumblers 21 cannot be moved. They wil-laccordingly hold the key in the key-way and prevent its being withdrawn therefrom until the cylinder 18 has been returned to the position shown in Fig. 8, wherein the grooves on the cylinder register with the key-way, permitting the upper and lower ends of the tumblers to enter them.

A bracket 23 is provided consisting of a section of sheet metal'having three portions bent forwardly therefrom and then outwardly providing lugs 24 which receive screws 25 asteningthe bracket to the back of the forward wall 12 of the door.' In this bracket there is slidable a bolt 26 having a pin 27 slidable in the slot 28 formed in the bracket. A lug is struck out of the body of the bracket, as indicated at 29, and a coil spring 30 joins the lug to the pin 27, thus urging the bolt 26 at all times into retracted position. About one-half of the bolt on its forward side is cut away, as indicated at 31, to receive the dise 20. The disc is-provided on its back side with an arcuate projection 32 located adjacent its periphery. This projection constitutes a cam which is engageable upon the inside end of the bolt. A semi-circular recess 33 is formed .in the peripheral surface ot the disc constituting a coin receiving pocket adapted kto receive a coin from a coin chute 84 fastened to the front wall 12 and which'has its entrance located on the edge of the door through the Vband 13, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The disc 2O is normally in the position shown in Fig. 6 and when in such position the cylinder 18 is Vrotated from the position shown in Fig. 8 so vof value'therein, and then deposits a coin in the upper end of the coin chute 34. This coin chute causes the coin to tall into the coin vpocket 83. Vhen this has been done,\the handle 19 can then be turned, rotating the cylinder .18 and rotating the disc 20. The projecting portion of the coin engages the shoulder 35 lonthe bolt, and causes the bolt to slide from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig'. 7. After the bolt has been caused to slide, the arcuate cam 32 can pass behind the endof the bolt and will keep the bolt fin thrown position against the action of the coil spring 30. This permits the handle 19 to be rotated further so that the coin pocket will pass below the bottom of the bolt, allowing the coin to drop Yout of the coin pocket into a coin receiving receptacle 36.` When the handle 19 has been thus completely` turned, its movement being limited by a pin 37 on the projection 32 engaging the bottom edge of the bracket, it will have caused the cylinder 18 to have assumed a position with respect to the stationarycylinder or body part 16 as shown in Fig. 8. Vxhen in this position the key can be removed. When the person wishes to .withdrawv the articles from the safe, he can do so by again inserting the key into the cylinder 16, causing the tumblers to be shifted properly so that the lianl dle 19 can turn the cylinderV 18. The handle 19 then rotates the cylinder 18 and the disc 20, and when the cam 32 is no longer in engagement with the end of the bolt, the bolt will be retracted by the spring Aand the door.

can then be opened to take out the various articles therein.

It will be noted that whenever the bolt is i in retracted position, the key can never be withdrawn from the key-way and in this way the keys cannot become lost. It is only after'the bolt is thrown that the key can be removed, `and the bolt can only be thrown by depositing a coin in the upper end `ot the coin chute. If a person should attempt to operate the safe without depositing a coin, there is nothing to throw the bolt from `its retracted position shown'in Fig. 6 into the position shown in Fig. 7 The end of the cam 32 will merely engage the bottom edge of the bolt whenever the disc is rotated slightly by the handle, thus limiting rotation lll) of the handle to a very small amount and s preventing the key from being withdrawn. f The coin receiving receptacle 36 may be of any preferred construction and is preferably locked in place, such as'by a lock 38. l

In devices of this kind it is highly desirable that some record be kept of the number p of times that the safe has been usedfl To thisend a register 39 is mounted within'the door of the safe having a swinging arm 40 which has its lower end positioned between pins 41. Whenever the disc is rotated from bolt rin retracted position to the positon wherein the i bolt is thrown, the arm 40 will be swung, operating the register. When the disc is reversely rotated, the arm is merely swung back into its initial position preparatory lto registering a subsequent operaiton.

As clearly shown in Fig. 5, the rearend or the stationary cylinder isv fastened to the bracket 23 as by screws 42 firmly connecting the various parts of the lock together. y

From the above described construction it Will be appreciated that a novel coin controlled sate isprovided oi simple yet durable construction requiring that a coin be employed before the safe can be used and ,sate-guarding against the lossA or' keys. It the safe is to be employed in a Pullman car, the key employed indicated at 43 is preferably yprovided with a Wrist encircling member all' adapted to be positioned about the wrist of the person using the safe. By keeping the key thus fastened about the Wrist, it is an effective safeguard against the theft and also a safe-guard against the person renting the safe forgetting that he has his valuable articles therein and departing from the Pullman car Without them.

It Will be understood that various changes may be made in the detailsA of construction Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as deined by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A coin controlled safe comprising a container having a door, a. stationary member having a key-Way therein mounted on the door, a movable part mounted on the door, a bolt adapted to be moved bythe movable part, tumblers preventing the movable part from being moved unless the proper key is inserted in the key-Way, said tumblers being so arranged as to prevent Withdrawal of the key from the key-Way When the bolt has been moved into unlocking position by said movable part, and coin controlled means permitting the bolt to be thrown by said movable part only When a coin is employed.

2. A coin controlled sate comprising a container having a door, a stationary member having a key-Way therein mounted on the door, a rotatable cylinder rotatably mounted upon the door about the stationary member, a bolt adapted to be moved by the rotatable member, tumblers preventing movement ot' the movable part unless the proper key is inserted in the key-Way, said tumblers being so arranged as to prevent Withdrawal ot the key from the key-Way when the bolt has been moved into unlocking position by said rotatable member, and coin controlled means permit-ting the bolt to be thrown by said rotatable member only When a coin is employed.

3. In a safe, a door, a stationary part mounted thereon having a key-Way therein, a rotatable part rotatable about the stationary part, a coin-pocket in said rotatable part, tumblers preventing the rotatable part from being rotated unless the proper key is inserted in the key-Way, and means for maintaining` the door in closed or locked position operable by rotating the rotatable part When a coin is in said coin-pocket, said tumblers being so yarranged that the key can only be Withdrawn from t-he key-WayV when the door is in locked posit-ion, and 'when' the'key is withdrawn, tated.

4:. InV a coin controlled lock, the combina-- tion of alocking bolt, a rotatablepart providing acoin receiving pocket adapted to partially receive a coin, and lock controlled means normally preventing, but when properly operated permitting the rotatable part to be moved so as to move the coin through an the rotatable part cannot be roarc in the plane of the coin and cause its proj ecting portion to engage and move the locking bolt. f

5. In a coin controlled lock, the combination of a locking bolt, a. rotatable disc providing a coin receiving pocket in its periphery adapted to partially receive a coin in a' posit-ion parallel to the plane of the disc, lock controlled means permitting said rotatable disc to. be rotated to cause the projecting portion of the coin to produce movement of the locking bolt, `and an arcuate cam carried byl the rotatable disc adapted to be moved thereby into engagement With the locking bolt to maintain the bolt in its moved position.

6. In a coin controlled lock, the combina.- tion ot a stationary key receiving part, a movable part, means preventing the movable part from being moved unless the proper key is inserted in the key receiving part, a locking bolt. and coin controlled means permitting the locking bolt to be moved by the movable part when a coin is employed.

7. In a coin controlled lock, the combination of a stationary key receiving part, a movable part, means preventing the movable part from being moved unless the proper key is inserted in the key receiving part, a locking bolt, and coin controlled means permitting the locking bolt to be moved by the movable part when a coin is empl0yed, the first mentioned means being so constructed as to prevent the removal of the key from the key receiving part except when the locking bolt is in locking position.

8. In a coin controlled lock. the combination of a stationarykey receiving part, arotatable part rotatable thereabout, means prelOO venting the rotatable part from being rotated unless the proper key is inserted in the n key receiving part, a locking bolt, and coin controlled means permitting the locking bolt to be moved by the rotatable part when a coin is employed, the iirst mentioned meansbeing so constructed as to prevent the removal of tlielrey from the key receivingr part except when the locking bolt is in locking position.

10. A coin cont-rolled lock comprising a stationary key-Way, a rotatable part rotatable about the stationary key-Way, tumblers operatively associated With the key-Way and rotatable part for serving `to prevent rotation of the rotatable part unless the proper key is inserted in the key-Way, a locking bolt, a rotatable dise associated with vthe rotatable part, there being a coin receiving` pocket in f thedisc adapted to partially receive a coin and to move it upon rotation into engagement with the locking` bolt to move the locking bolt into locking position.

l1. A coin controlled lock comprising a stationary key-Way, a rotatable part rotatable about the stationary key-Way, tumblers operatively associated With the key-*Way and rotatable part for serving to prevent rotation of the rotatable part unless the proper key is inserted inthe key-Way, a locking; bolt, a rotatable disc associated with the rotatable part, there being a coin receiving poclret'in the disc adapted to partially receive a coin and to move it upon rotation into engagement with the locking bolt to move the locking n bolt into loeking'position, and a. cam carried by the rotatable disc engageable upon the locking bolt for maintaining the locking bolt in locking position after havingbeen moved therein by tbev coin. f

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specilication.

S. L. BELKNAP. 

